Is the 12th Pick Too High to Draft a Tight End?

Green Bay Packers will have selected their two first round picks by this time next week. We will know what the Packers are doing with those draft picks. After a spend-heavy free agency, Green Bay turned the draft on its head. People thought the Packers were locked into getting an EDGE rusher, but now with the additions of Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith, that is not a given. One need that the Packers have is tight end. Jimmy Graham is back, but the Packers need a long-term solution at this position. The good news for them is there are tight ends available throughout this draft including at the 12th pick, but is that too early for the position?

In his column this morning, Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press Gazette pointed this out. The list of tight ends drafted in the first 12 picks of the draft is the land of busts without question. But many believe T.J. Hockenson could be one of the best players to come out of this draft. He can catch, block and has all of the skills of a modern tight end. Reading the column, it made me think that many older scouts aren’t adapting to today’s NFL where tight end has become a valued position. The list of busts drafted early were taken there because they were more like athletes than they were tight ends. Hockenson is the real deal and could be a star in Green Bay.

Now if the Packers decide to go defense with Davin Bush or someone like that, I don’t blame them. They need to take the player that will help them out the most next season. They are a copious amounts of tight ends available in the first 100 picks of the draft. Hockenson feels like the safest especially compared to the next two that are ranked beneath him, Noah Fant and Irv Smith Jr. If the Packers decide to not go tight end in the first round, Jace Sternberger could be an awesome addition in the second round.